I love The Simpsons. It has been one of my favorite shows since I was a kid. I have watched it since the beginning. At least, up until now.

I have defended the later seasons. And I still buy the dvd sets, and I loved the movie, but after the last season of the show, I have no interest in watching the new season.

I have absolutely no interest in watching it. I oculd. I certainly have the time now. But I don’t. And it’s strange, for me, because there is no hatred there. It’s just a deep void that hasn’t been filled with the actual series in a while. The movie filled that void last year, but when the new season came back, I just didn’t flip to it.

One of the things I love most about the show was it’s stories and it’s heart, and while the heart may still be there, the stories are getting shortsighted. They were spending way to long with the irrelevant first act and by the time we get to the actual advertised story, the one everyone thought they were going to see, the show is nearly over.

I mean, I laughed. I still found the jokes funny. It doesn’t take much for me to laugh. I don’t anylize the jokes, and often, I don’t even need to get them. I find a lot of things amusing, and I wish a lot more people were like that too. Although, it does get old when all the jokes are the same overused technique (which is why I slowed down on Family Guy).

Another thing is, with the commercialls getting longer and longer, the shows are getting shorter and shorter.

We open with the opening titles. Then we cut to commercials. A couple minutes later, the show actually starts (often around 8:05 or even 8:07) and then after four or five minutes, we get an almost equal time of commercials, and then we come back to the middle act and then another equal time of commercials and then the final act, which usually seems to be the shortest.

It seems to me that they should drop the opening title sequence. Sure, it’s part of the shows history, but if it helps get them more storytime, allowing more time to balance the story with the jokes, which it seems they are having trouble doing, causing the big issue I mentioned earlier. It wouldn’t be much more time, but it could be enough.

After 19 years, the show has filled up with conventions that maybe they shouldn’t follow anymore. Things aren’t fresh. It doens’t seem like they are trying to keep it fresh when almost every year they do a Simpsons vacation episode or a Sideshow Bob episode. And must we always have the celerbity cameos? Can’t we slow down on those a bit?

In the 19 years, it may seem that The Simpsons have done everything, but I bet if they wised up and tried to come up with something fresh, they might be able to squeeze out a couple more years, or fall flat, but either way, I’m sure the series only has a couple more years left.

While a part of me fears the series’ end, the other part of me thinks it may be best if they just call it quits. Then again, maybe there is a little fight left in them.  Who knows? How often does a show like this make it this long? Not very often, and with the new shows I see rolling in, I seriously doubt many of them will even last half as long Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa, and Maggie have.

Also, it is worth noting that the animation has been beautiful lately. So the newer seasons do have something to offer.